


the depths of the night cannot blind me (when you guide me)

by j_whirl44



Series: Azu Week 2020 [2]
Category: Rusty Quill Gaming (Podcast)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-05
Updated: 2020-10-05
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:53:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,101
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26838523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/j_whirl44/pseuds/j_whirl44
Summary: Suddenly her dreams make sense.Azu Week - Day 2: Agape/Pragma/Philauta
Relationships: Aphrodite & Azu (Rusty Quill Gaming)
Series: Azu Week 2020 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1961188
Comments: 6
Kudos: 8
Collections: Azu Week 2020





	the depths of the night cannot blind me (when you guide me)

_Sometimes, when she was a small child, her dreams would just be shrouded in pink and gold. The lights would be so bright and bold and they’d encapsle everything that she could see nothing else. She’d just be standing there in the middle of the room, wearing the most gorgeous and flowing gown with gold arm bands around her biceps. Sometimes there’d be a crown on her head._

_She’d hear faint whispers of something around her but she couldn’t make out what they were saying. She never felt fear though, in fact she felt the opposite. She felt warmth and gentleness and she felt safe. There’d be a necklace around her neck that would glow as the whispers grew louder, but it would fade as soon as they left._

She liked those dreams, even if she had no idea what it meant yet.

She always kept those in her mind on nights she needed extra comfort. There was always a warmth in her chest, right where that necklace laid.

_Years and years passed and she found herself almost forgetting them, but they returned in force one night and there she stood again, older and taller. She was in the same gown as it moved seemingly on its own around her. The whispers are much louder now but she still can’t for the life of her make out what it means._

_It’s different now. She can see the silhouette of someone in front of her. It’s not moving any closer, but it grows larger. It looms but it is welcoming. Five more silhouettes pop up beside it, but these are much smaller. Colors glow around them. The tallest is yellow, then black for the next one, followed by blue, green, and purple. She just wishes she knew what any of this meant but she loses time to process as she feels like crying from pure happiness mixed with the painstaking motion of grief as the black and the green silhouettes disappear._

That’s when she wakes up and can’t stop the sobs as they escape.

It’s a few days later that the paladin visits. She tells glorious stories about her goddess and there’s the familiar realization that hits her when she hears about Aphrodite and the pinks and golds and love that surround her. The paladin studies Azu with a careful but caring eye, but doesn’t approach her, not yet.

_This dream is still in a pink hue, but there’s a setting now. A clearing in a forest. It’s bright and beautiful and so green and full of any and all types of flowers, most of which she’s never seen. She gasps and sits on a tree stump. She runs her hands through the moss and takes its soft and wet feel._

_“Azu,” a voice whispers with the wind that blows by her ears._

_She freezes but she is not scared._

_“Hello?” she says._

_The wind around her picks up and her attention is drawn to the familiar silhouette she’s seen so many times before. “Azu, my child, I have watched you for so long. I have visited you in dreams,” the voice says._

_Azu gasps and feels the breath leave her body. She’s rendered speechless._

_The silhouette moves forward, “Your heart is so pure, Azu, your faith is strong,” it says._

_“You...you’re her,” she says._

_There’s a gentle chuckle that echoes throughout the clearing and the necklace again placed around her neck follows the noise. “I am whoever you think, my darling. I am there with you through every twist and pang your heart makes,” it explains, “and I want you to join me, Azu.”_

_“Me? But I am-I have my family here my love, he’s-” she stops talking as the air turns cold and it makes goosebumps rise on her skin. It doesn’t last very long, but it gives Azu pause._

_“You’re kind and loyal and the one who can help keep that brightness and love in the world. You must go, Azu, I will be here to guide you,” she says._

_Suddenly, the silhouette is in front of her and there’s a glowing hand on top of hers. She can’t stop the tears that brim over and escape her. She sees now the face of the goddess Aphrodite and she is stunning. Long brown hair flows down her face that looks sculpted from the finest marble. Her golden eyes burn into Azu’s as they send a message of reassurance that resonates over her entire body._

_Azu doesn’t want to let go of this feeling. The safeness she feels, the devotion bubbles inside her and it’s just overwhelming in the best way. She looks Aphrodite in the eyes and nods. This pleases the goddess and she leans down to place the lightest kiss onto Azu’s forehead._

_“They need you,” Aphrodite whispers._

Azu can’t ask more as she wakes up and still feels the contact there.

She leaves her family, her home, behind not long after that. It hurts but the heartache is protected by a warmth in her stomach. The paladin helps her journey throughout the country.

The weather in Cairo is terrible as she does her rounds to look for people who need help before she heads back to Healer Fairhands at the hospital. This particular storm seems to have come out of nowhere, which is saying something nowadays.

Topaz stops in the middle of the street and she’s about to ask her what’s wrong before she hears the scuffling of people in front of her. She watches then shift and hide under Topaz and she’s equal parts shocked and amused. She lets a small laugh escape her before she composes herself and yells out to the party. They look at her with confused and surprised faces before the three of them shout questions at her that she tries to answer as best she can.

Except in the moment she’s struck with _something_ inside her chest as she sees the three of them. There’s a familiarity to them, but she knows she’s never seen them before. Well, not in a real life sense anyway.

She leads them to the hospital where she’s able to learn more about who they are and why they’re here. The whole time her chest is warm and she swears the pink glow she wears around herself seems to be a bit brighter.

 _‘Follow them,’_ she hears a voice from far off say. Azu centers herself and thinks for a moment before she makes a decision.

She listens to the voice, because it hasn’t led her astray yet, and delights in meeting her new friends.

**Author's Note:**

> i've always loved the idea that Aphrodite knew Azu needed to meet the lolomg and she guides her to them so ;-;
> 
> hope you enjoyed!!! I'm love Azu week.


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